10 tech tips you’ll just love!

February is the month of love. So, I’d like to share the love with you.  Here are 10 cool gadgets, apps, and services that can increase your productivity, decrease your stress, and maybe even help you to love your practice!

1. MozyPro: Are you backing up your data offsite?  If you’re not, stop reading right now and please check out MozyPro.  Your data is the lifeblood of your practice.  Keep it safe, secure and easily accessible should the unexpected happen.  And it usually does.
2. Dropbox: How many times have you been away from your office and needed to access a file or folder?  Dropbox allows you to save and share documents in the cloud and make them accessible from any computer.  It’s free for up to 2 gigs of storage and is super easy to use.  You can download it and get started in less than 10 minutes.
3. Action Method: Knowledge may be power, but action is everything.  Action Method Online is based on the work done by Behance Corporation, thought leaders on productivity and creativity.  Action Method is a simple project management tool that is free and easy to use.  It will help you get your “to do” list “done.” You can learn more about the Action Method in the book Making Ideas Happen.
4. SimplyFile: I could not live without this Outlook plugin.  It is an elegant little tool that will help you keep your inbox organized.  Here’s an example of just one of its features: You have an email in your inbox.  You reply to it and hit send.  A little dialog box will pop up asking you to file your reply AND the original email in your inbox.  It will help you clean out your inbox by filing your replies together with the original email.  Remember: Your inbox is not your “to do” list!  Clean it up! Download a free trial of SimplyFile.
5. Google Desktop: Everyone has wasted precious time looking for files on their computer or network.  But with Google Desktop there’s no need to.  When you download this free app, it will continuously index your computer network.  Then when you need to find a document, enter a couple of key words in the search box, hit enter and BAM, you have access to every document and email in your system containing those key words.  For even more search features check out Copernic.
6. Google Scholar: I recently discovered Google Scholar after googling the name of a 1953 case.  Imagine my surprise when Google Scholar returned the full text of the case with hyperlinks to all the other cases cited in the opinion, and a listing of how other courts have cited the case.  For more about Google Scholar, check out my friend, Rick Georges’ FutureLawyer February 11 blog post on research tips.
7. Line2: Want to turn your iPad into a phone with great conference calling capability?  Check out Line2.
8. Credenza: It amazes me that some attorneys from firms large and small are still not using any type of case management software.  If you fit into that category, your time has come!   Credenza is a plugin for Outlook that puts powerful case management and time and billing tools right at your fingertips.  I’ve written about Credenza before, and I still love it.  Check it out for free for 30 days.  Then if you decide to keep it it’s only $9.95 per month for each user. 
9. Clio and Rocket Matter: If you’re ready to take a leap to the cloud, Clio and Rocket Matter are both worth checking out.  They each offer a full menu of case management services to help you take control of your practice.  Click here for a prior blog post about cloud-based case management.
10. Dragon Dictation Mobile Apps: If you haven’t ever tried Dragon Dictation software, or if it’s been a while since you used it.  Download Dragon’s free app – Dragon Dictation.  It’s available for iPhones and Androids and it works like a charm.  Dictate notes to yourself, dictate emails to others, update your Facebook status, tweet, and do it all with a couple of taps.  Super simple.